Lorraine Williamson
Following Monday’s widespread power outage, almost all of Spain and Portugal were left without electricity. Things gradually returned to normal by Tuesday—shops reopened, card machines worked again, and public transport was back in service.
But when I went to my local Mercadona, it was clear that something had shifted.
The scene reminded me of the early days of the pandemic. The car park was packed, queues snaked around the checkouts, and even the lifts to the car park had long lines. Some people wore facemasks again, which I hadn’t seen in months.
Inside, it felt surreal. The shelves were stripped bare. Trolleys were piled high with bread, pastries, fruit, veg, water, and toilet rolls. One shopper had a trolley full of 2-litre bottles of soft drinks, ice, and beer. Was he planning a party—or preparing for another blackout?
I left without bread and headed to the local bakery. But there, too, was another queue, and only a small selection left inside.
Was the panic just for the holiday?
With Labour Day approaching and many supermarkets closing for the day, part of me wondered if this rush was just people preparing for the holiday. But the scale of it felt different—more like panic than planning.
The suddenness of the power failure clearly shook people. I saw it in the urgency of their shopping, in their full baskets, and in their expressions. A one-day closure doesn’t normally empty shelves like this.
A short crisis, but a powerful reminder
What struck me most wasn’t the outage itself—it was how quickly everyday routines unravelled. When electricity failed, everything stopped: trains, tills, even traffic lights. It made me realise how fragile normality is.
And it made me think—if one day without power can cause this kind of scramble, what happens in a longer or more serious situation?
What I’ve learned—and what I’ll do differently
I’ve never been one to panic, but this experience prompted me to reconsider how prepared I actually am. So I’ve taken some simple steps, and I’d suggest others do the same.
Make sure you have some bottled water, tinned food, batteries, a working torch, and a battery-powered radio for news updates if mobile networks or Wi-Fi go down.
Also, with the warmer months coming and wildfire risks increasing, I’ve created a “go-to” box. Mine contains copies of important documents, passports, insurance details, medication lists, emergency contacts, cash, and a few irreplaceable photos. It’s not just for fire evacuation—it’s peace of mind for any unexpected emergency.
A question for all of us
This wasn’t a disaster. But it showed how easily things can tip. The scenes I witnessed weren’t just about a holiday closure—they revealed something more uneasy.
Are we too reliant on everything working perfectly? Or is it time we start thinking a little more like our grandparents did—always ready, just in case?